Duki, 13, sits outside an empty chicken coop in the Kaliboto village of Blitar, Indonesia. The farm where Duki works usually keeps around 5,500 chickens. 3,000 of those birds died in the last two weeks from bird flu. The remaining 2,500 chickens are all suffering from the disease. Bird flu has also hit Cambodia, Japan, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. (AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett)

Leaders Fear Bird Flu Might Kill People Around the World

Health officials around the world are worried that bird flu may some day infect wide numbers of people. History has shown that flu outbreaks sometimes kill large numbers of people around the world.

The large loss of lives occurs about three times every 100 years. An outbreak of that kind is called a “pandemic.” The last pandemic happened 37 years ago. As a result, some health officials are worried that another pandemic may happen soon.

The term “bird flu” refers to a virus that is common in wild birds. A virus is so small it cannot be seen by the human eye. A virus also can change and grow. That makes it more dangerous to people.

Wild birds usually do not become ill from the virus. But wild birds can give the virus to birds raised on farms. Such birds are called “domestic poultry.” They include chickens, ducks and geese.

The Department of Health and Human Services reports that more than 100 cases of bird flu in humans have been found since 2003. More than half of the victims died.

Those cases were in Southeast Asia. The victims were in the countries of Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Virus is from close contact with poultry

Health officials say the common source of the infection in humans has been close contact with poultry. But there may have been cases where one person got it from another.

There still is no indication that a third person can get it. Health officials say a pandemic could happen when the virus shows the ability to leap to a third person.

People who become ill with bird flu can show the same signs as the normal kind of flu. A common flu usually happens every winter.

Normal flu symptoms can include fever, cough, sore throat and muscle aches. Other flu conditions can include eye infections, problems breathing and complications that cause death.

Health officials using lessons learned

The nation’s top health official says lessons learned in the past will help fight bird flu. Mike Leavitt is the Secretary of the Department of Heath and Human Services. The Department is a federal agency. The DHHS works to protect the health of citizens of the United States.

Leavitt says his agency is making plans to cope with bird flu. Leavitt says the nation’s health care system is much better than it was in past outbreaks.

Doctors have learned that people who become sick with bird flu should make sure they get enough water and be kept clean.

That would reduce the amount of damage an outbreak would cause, he said.

Another important tool is communication. Leavitt said the federal government made mistakes by withholding information during a flu outbreak in 1918. He said his job is to speak as clearly as possible about the situation.

Leavitt said his role is one of informing people. But he wants to do that in a way that does not scare them.

So far, bird flu has not shown the ability to kill large numbers of people. Bird flu most likely has only killed people who were in close contact with birds that were infected.

A doctor is Milwaukee says bird flu will not be as deadly in the United States as the 1918 outbreak. John Whitcomb said testing and treatments are much better now.

Whitcomb also says not everyone who becomes exposed to the virus will become very ill.

Whitcomb says many people will be able to take care of themselves at home with things like bed rest and fluids.